@MichiganPacker2 posted:Cavs lose to the Hornets, so the Bucks go back up 3 games on the Cavs, but the Knicks are now within 2.
If you thought the Lakers get a lot of calls, just wait until a decent Knicks team is matched up against anyone in the playoffs. The NBA would salivate at the chance for a Lakers-Knicks matchup in the Finals.
What they really dread is a something like Nuggets-Cavs or Thunder-Bucks matchup in the Finals.
The problem they have now is that the 4 best players in the NBA in terms of MVP votes this year are Jokic, Doncic, Giannis, SGA. Embiid would have made it 5 if he'd have stayed healthy. None were born in the US and Jokic, Doncic, and Giannis didn't even play in college in the US. If those guys played the same way and grew up in Chicago or NYC and played at Duke or North Carolina they'd be easy to market. You'd think they'd (other than Jokic) would be easy to market anyway. Giannis is one of the most likeable athletes in the world and Luka has a persona that is easy to love/hate - sort of a Larry Bird vibe to him (trash talking, etc.).
But the NBA desperately wants to find the next LeBron to market and one of these guys are it. You have to have a combination of skills and selfishness and self-promotion that at least Giannis and Jokic don't have. Jayson Tatum is a good player, but he just comes across as boring and methodical, but he's as close to the NBA marketing archetype in terms of background as it gets and he just isn't moving the needle.